According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 30% and 40% of Americans don’t get adequate sleep. Experts describe adequate sleep as at least seven hours of restful sleep every night. Workplace anxiety is the most common cause of sleeplessness. Insomnia may also result from the mere fact of working longer hours.
A 2008 poll found that Americans spend at least four extra working hours every week. That may not seem like much, especially if you only view it from the perspective of the incentives that come with working extra hours. However, sleep deprivation could spell danger for people already trapped in the 9 – 5 rat race. But why is it convenient to sacrifice our precious sleep time at the altar of hefty paychecks? That question shall be the focus of this post.
Sleep deprivation is generally applauded. Not only in corporate America but the world over. You’ve probably heard many CEOs of blue-chip companies proudly glossing over the fact that they only sleep three hours every night. According to these CEOs, those who sleep more hours every night miss out on so many opportunities. You’ll hear them encouraging people to stay up late reading investment publications or monitoring the stock market.
While these tips are invaluable in growing personal wealth, we shouldn’t just implement them wholesomely. And much less if doing so means sacrificing our precious sleep time. But sleep deprivation isn’t just applauded in the corporate sector. The habit also gets its fair share of glorification in learning institutions.
In many schools and colleges worldwide, students are often encouraged to study late into the night and wake up early in the morning. Tutors conveniently throw around the adage ‘the early bird gets the worm’ at the slightest opportunity they can find. Therefore, young people grow up believing that sleeping fewer hours every night is a critical success ingredient. By the time they discover that the truth is quite the contrary, they usually have lost a great deal of their productivity.
The good news is that insomnia and other sleep-related disorders aren’t permanent. You can manage these conditions effectively using Canadian Ananbolics and other herbal extracts. In some cases, a few lifestyle adjustments are all you need to correct your unhealthy sleeping habits. Much on that later on.
Numerous studies have established that sleep supports nearly every vital system in the body. It’s during sleep that our brain neurons regenerate. The regeneration of brain neurons is crucial in boosting our memory, activating our thought processes, and helping us manage our emotions. Sleep also boosts our cardiovascular and immune systems. Plus, it’s during sleep that our bodies heal and repair themselves for the day ahead. That’s why we often wake up feeling more rejuvenated.
Those who undersleep miss out on the numerous benefits of adequate sleep. And the effects of insomnia have a way of bleeding into our workplaces. Stress and anxiety are some of the common side effects of insomnia. Anxiety clouds our judgment and affects our reaction times, thereby increasing the risks of workplace-related accidents. For those who work jobs that require heightened mental focus, such as machine operation, a second of missed concentration may have devastating consequences.
Besides stress, sleeplessness also causes fatigue. If you find yourself constantly yawning even before the midmorning tea break or nodding off during crucial meetings, you could be suffering from insomnia-induced fatigue. Fatigue can deal a massive blow to your workplace productivity. That’s especially true for those who work physically intensive jobs, such as workers on the factory floor.
But even those in blue-collar jobs aren’t spared from the effects of insomnia-induced fatigue. The feelings of drowsiness resulting from insomnia might have you making unnecessary errors and omissions like signing crucial documents without conducting your due diligence. Drowsiness is mentally draining too. That’s because your body focuses its attention on keeping you awake at the expense of other more critical tasks.
Sleep-deprived workers also tend to be highly irritable. The mood swings induced by insomnia could have you reacting disproportionately to every situation in the office, ruining the relationship with your co-workers. Last but not least, sleep deprivation could increase the risks of other conditions. Insomnia has a way of throwing our blood pressure off balance. So, it can open you up for blood pressure-related diseases like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis.
Addressing Sleep Deprivation
There are numerous sleep-aiding herbal supplements that you can try, including cannabis- and lavender-based products.
Cannabis is particularly recommended due to its potent medicinal properties. Weed-based extracts like cannabidiol (CBD) relieve insomnia by shortening sleep latency and increasing sleep duration. Marijuana might also treat some of the core triggers of insomnia, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Besides insomnia, cannabis may also offer relief from pain, inflammation, anxiety, and seizures.
The following are other tips you can implement to curb sleep deprivation;
Avoid unhealthy sleeping habits like watching television late into the night
Avoid mentally stimulating foods and drinks in the evening, such as coffee and alcohol
Manage pain and anxiety
Eat light dinner
Feng-shui your bedroom properly
Conclusion
Sleep deprivation can take a toll on your workplace productivity. Inadequate sleep may also open you up for accidents at work and even increase the risks of chronic diseases like diabetes. Thankfully, there are numerous tips you can implement to keep insomnia and other sleep-related disorders at bay.
If you are in a pattern of sleepless nights that are negatively affecting your health, your family, or your career, connect with the Alaska Sleep Clinic for a free consultation Our sleep medicine specialists offer the help needed to get back on track with a quality, healthy night’s sleep. Call us today @ 907-420-0540
